Mojo the FoodBar, Newport restaurant and bar review

Normally when I visit a restaurant the boozing plays second fiddle to the noshing. I think of the drink as something to lubricate the eating process.

However, following a visit to Mojo the FoodBar in Newport, I feel just as excited about the alcohol as I do about the scran. Both are excellent.

The food on offer at Mojo is very much in the fine dining camp. Head Chef Rob Evans gained experience in the kitchens of Restaurant James Sommerin and the Celtic Manor.

Arguably even more exciting is Head Mixologist, Christos Kyriakidis, who has previously worked in house for Plymouth Gin and acquired a formidable reputation when he ran Vanilla Rooms at the Park House in Cardiff. 

Mojo’s epic cocktail selection is simply awesome - the captivating range of original creations and twisted classics is all killer and no filler. But, if cocktails aren’t your bag then there are over 120 gins you can work your way through.

I kicked off with a peach mint Julip (£9), a refreshingly boozy concoction of fresh mint, homemade peach syrup, bourbon and soda. 

Mrs G went for something harder, a New Fashioned (£11) which combined brandy, port, homemade vanilla & raisin syrup and peach bitters. 

I followed up with a wonderfully citrusy Bitter Sweet Symphony (£9) made from gin, saffron infused Aperol, lemon juice and pink grapefruit & sugar syrup.

A fruity and punchy strawberry and black pepper Collins (£9), a textbook Singapore Sling (£9) and a cockle warming black walnut Manhattan were also seen off with gusto. 

Bitter Sweet Symphony (left) and strawberry and black pepper Collins (right)

Oh yeah, I should talk about the food. 

We went for the a la carte menu which offers three courses for £35 but there are also six course (£39.50) and ten course (£60) tasting menus.

Canapes were an airy gazpacho soup, a fragrant and short cream cheese biscuit sandwich, and a crisp and oozy mini arancino. 

To start, a pair of yielding deboned chicken wings were perched on top of a light chicken terrine, soft new potatoes, a perfectly runny slow cooked hens egg and a rich chickeny sauce. 

Across the table, a light crab salad was elevated by refreshing apple batons, smooth avocado puree and crisp brown breadcrumbs. 

Onto mains and crisp skinned pink duck pieces were lightly glazed with honey and lavender. Accompaniments included a moreish crispy leg croquette, pretty crushed purple vitelotte potatoes, sweet date puree, summer greens and a glossy sauce.

My 50 day aged beef sirloin (£6 supplement) was also on the nail. The tender medium-rare meat was served with crisp and squidgy truffle fragranced bone marrow croquettes, cubes of salt baked turnip, baby carrots, crunchy shallot rings, blobs of beetroot puree and another cracking meat sauce. 

Mrs G rounded off the meal with a slice of creamy strawberry parfait adorned with blobs of intense strawberry puree, glazed Italian meringue and tangy lemon curd.

A silky, seriously rich dark chocolate mousse was balanced by crisp and soft gingerbread pieces, orange puree and a creamy Earl Grey ice cream which could have taken a bigger hit of tea. 

Dinner at Mojo was excellent and the cocktails were stunning. If you want to combine a night of lovely food with some first rate boozing then it’s most certainly worth checking out.

Disclosure - I was invited to Mojo, all food and drink was complimentary.

The Details:

Address - Mojo The FoodBar, No. 1 Clarence House, Clarence Place, Newport NP19 7AA

Web - http://www.mojothefoodbar.com/

Telephone - 01633 449948